Gray Tinamou (Tinamus tao)

Gray Tinamou

Tinamus tao Gallina Azul

Identification: 18" (46cm). 2kg. Large and grayish. Eyes dark brown; legs dull bluish gray. Crown and hindneck dark sooty brown, crown finely spotted white; white-dotted line from eyes down sides of neck; otherwise above olive gray obscurely etched black, the barring sometimes a little more evident on wings, lower back, and rump; upper throat white, lower throat tinged buff, chest gray turning buffy or brownish gray on breast and pale rufous on under tail coverts; flanks olive gray vermiculated black. 9: above more olive, barring more prom., underparts grayer.

Or sim. but both sexes grayer above (less olive), barring more distinct, below more extensively olive gray (septentrionalis).

Sim. species: Looks gray above and below (esp. sep-tentrionalis). From Great or Highland tinamous by gray appearance, neck stripe, contrasting under tail coverts, and near absence of barring.

Voice: At Rancho Grande, at dawn and dusk, a penetrating, uninflected whistle, whuuuu, at well-spaced intervals (P. Schwartz recording).

Behavior: Sim. to others of genus (see Great Tina-mou). Nest a leafy depression at base of tree or to 1m up in rotten stump or palm base; 2-9 shiny greenish blue eggs; Jun nest (1500m), Rancho Grande, Aragua.

Status and habitat: Uncommon and local resident in humid forest in hilly lowland and lower montane els. There are more recs. from PN Henri Pittier and PN Guatopo than elsewhere.

Range: 50-1900m. Sierra de Perija (Alto de Cedro southward); w slope of Andes in Merida (La Azulita) and nw Lara, e slope in Tachira, Apure, nw Barinas (hd.—P. Boesman), and Lara (Cabudare; Cerro El Cogollal); hd. at Cerro Mision, se Falcon60; mts. of Yaracuy, Coastal Cordillera in Carabobo, Aragua, and Distr. Federal e to Pto. La Cruz (larensis); Interior Cordillera in s Miranda (sight, PN Guatopo—

C. Parrish), Sucre (Cumana and Paria Pen.), and n Monagas on Cerro Negro (septentrionalis). Guyana; mts. of Colombia s to Bolivia and locally in Amaz. Brazil and e Bolivia.

Source: Birds Venezuela Steven L. Hilty

Source: DM Pura Vida

Source: Liz Lauer